# Amazon SES

> Connect Amazon SES to BooleanSMTP over the HTTPS API or SMTP, verify a sender identity, and send a test email.

Amazon SES sends through either its HTTPS API or its SMTP endpoints — both are available on
BooleanSMTP's free plan.

## Before you begin

- An AWS account with access to the [SES console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ses/home).
- An IAM user with an SES-sending policy (`AmazonSESFullAccess`, or one scoped to
  `ses:SendRawEmail`, `ses:SendEmail`, `ses:GetSendQuota`, `ses:GetSendStatistics`), giving you an
  **Access Key ID** and **Secret Access Key**.
- The From address or domain you'll send with, verified as a SES identity in the region you plan to
  send from.
- New SES accounts start in the **SES sandbox**, which only sends to verified recipients — verify
  the address you'll test with too.

## Add the connection

<Steps>

1. In your WordPress admin sidebar, go to **BooleanSMTP → Mailers**.
2. Click **Add Connection** and choose **Amazon SES**.
3. Under **Sender Settings**, fill in **From Email** (must be a verified SES identity) and **From
   Name**.
4. Under **Amazon SES Connection**, choose **HTTPS API (SendRawEmail)** or **SMTP (STARTTLS)** — see
   below for each mode's fields.
5. Choose **Credential Storage**: **Database**, **WP Config**, or **Environment**. To keep keys out
   of the database, see [Storing credentials in wp-config](/sending/wp-config-credentials/).
6. Click **Register Connection**.

</Steps>

<Tabs>
<TabItem label="HTTPS API">

Fill in **Access Key ID**, **Secret Access Key**, and **Region** — the region must match where you
verified your identity. The dropdown covers all 27 AWS SES commercial regions.

![The Amazon SES connection form in HTTPS API mode, with Access Key ID, Secret Access Key and Region fields.](../../../assets/screenshots/ses-api.webp)

</TabItem>
<TabItem label="SMTP">

Fill in **Region**, **SMTP Host:Port** (a preset locked to the region you picked — 587 for STARTTLS
or 465 for SSL/TLS), **SMTP Username**, and **SMTP Password**.

![The Amazon SES connection form in SMTP mode, with Region, SMTP Host:Port, SMTP Username and SMTP Password fields.](../../../assets/screenshots/ses-smtp.webp)

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

<Aside type="tip">
Click **Validate Credentials** on the connection form to confirm AWS accepts the Access Key/Secret
and can reach SES, before you save or send.
</Aside>

## Send a test email

Use **Test Email** in the sidebar to confirm the connection works — see
[Send a test email](/getting-started/send-a-test-email/) for the steps. While your account is in the
SES sandbox, send to a verified recipient.

## Common errors

- **"MessageRejected" / "Email address is not verified"** — the From or To address isn't verified in
  SES yet, or was verified in a different region than the one selected on this connection.
- **`IncompleteSignature`, or the send fails immediately with an auth-looking error** — re-enter the
  Access Key ID and Secret Access Key rather than reusing a masked placeholder; a Secret Access Key
  is exactly 40 characters.
- **Saved a WP Config/Environment connection but it won't validate** — confirm the constant isn't
  defined as an empty string; BooleanSMTP treats a defined-but-empty constant as present.

## Next steps

- [Send a test email](/getting-started/send-a-test-email/)
- [Set a fallback connection](/sending/fallback-and-retries/)
- [Check delivery in Logs](/logs/)
- [Set up alerts](/alerts/)